2025: The Year in Books

Hey 2025, you were really something.  Let's talk about the books that came my way while we were together.

Previous Years Reading Recaps

• 2022 book list (at the end of the post)
• 2023 book list 
• 2024 book list (ain't got time for that?  Here is the Reader's Digest version, aka a spreadsheet)
  

Shoutouts to the Best of the Best

Normally I just drop a bunch of stats and a long book list in these posts, but this year a few special things came along that deserve a special mention.

Best book of the year: normally I have 20 best books of the year, but this year there is a clear winner.  Drumroll please...let's hear it for Sky Daddy by Kate Folk.

Best author of the year: Lucy Maud Montgomery!!!  The Cool Bloggers Book Club was responsible for bringing this eternal breath of fresh air to the forefront with The Blue Castle and later in the year I revisited Anne of Green Gables when I went to PEI.

Best second chance of the year: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.  I picked up everyone's favorite book of the year and found that it just wasn't doing it for me, so I DNF'd at 30%.  But the more I kept hearing about it, the more I felt like taking another look so that I could join in on the fun.  I picked up the audio version and dearly loved it.

Best "I don't like that author" successes.  We have a tie!  In the past I have had DNFs with Janelle Brown and Amity Gaige, so when I started hearing the buzz about What Kind of Paradise (Brown) and Heartwood (Gaige), I rolled my eyes.  Then I picked up the books and was wowed.

Best reread of the year.  Another tie!  

• Gone With the Wind!  Engie's reread (here and here) got my attention, and then Jenny suggested a buddy read.  It holds up and yes the >1,000 page length is justified.
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  I reread it so that I could do a full book vs movie smackdown for The Great Alfred Hitchcock Rewatch.  I know the story very well but between rereadings of the book/rewatches of the movie I always forget just how good it is.

2026 Book Resolutions

I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but I do have a few reading items that I'm listing here to increase the chances of me remembering them.

• Read more Katherine Heiny.
• Read the rest of the books in the I'm Traveling Alone series
• Read more Annie Hartnett
• Read more Lucy Maud Montgomery
• More fiction on audio.  I'm a longtime listener of nonfiction on audio, but I always assumed that I wouldn't be able to concentrate on fiction unless it was on a page in front of me.  The Correspondent proved me wrong and now I want more.
• More buddy reads!  I'm brainstorming titles and may reach out to some folks.  Drop me a comment if you have an idea and would like to read a book with me - in my mind a buddy read doesn't have to be with just two people.

2025 By the Numbers

If I'm being honest, I'm not in a numbers mood right now.  I read a lot of books and I like/love a lot of books.  But I have a spreadsheet that tracks this stuff for me, so let's drop 'em.

BTW here is that spreadsheet if you would like to see it instead of my ramblings. The stats are on the second tab.

Number of books read & in what format

Ratings.  My rating scale is 100% based on emotions.  The scale is:

DNF: did not finish.  This doesn't mean that it was a bad book, just that it was the wrong book at the wrong time for me.  My goal in life is to DNF anything that doesn't work for me ASAP in order to make room for the right book to come in.  The list does not include books that I sampled on Libby and decided not to read based on the first few pages and very early DNFs where it felt like too much trouble to write out the title and link to the book.

Skim: again, this does not mean that it was a bad book, it just means that I got bored or had some other issue but chose to skim rather than DNF.

Meh: I finished it.

Good: means exactly what it says, this is a good book that I would recommend to others.

Love: I adored this book.

OMG 😻😻😻: this book gave me all the feels and made my toes curl.

Recommendation Sources.  Links to these folks are included in the rambling list of all of the books in the last section of this post.

It stands out that nearly 30% of my reads came from the Sarah's Bookshelves podcast, and my Patreon membership is my largest reading expense.  However, as you can see, she is also my number #1 "love it or hate it" source.

Thanks But I Came Here for a Long and Rambling List of Everything That You Read in 2025

Surely!  This is archived from the books page.  It is also available in spreadsheet form.

Disclaimer about DNF's and negative comments: it takes two to tango.  If I didn't like a book, that's a reflection on both the book and me.  I used to avoid saying anything negative about anything, but I think that it's helpful for you to see what I don't like so that you can assess how well my reading tastes line up with yours.  I just want to be very clear that because I don't like something at a particular moment in time doesn't mean that it's bad or that it won't work for you.  I also like to point out that my number of published books is zero, so it's at least one less than any author whose work I don't like.

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton.  This was a perfectly fine, but not outstanding entry in the series.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series.

The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellor.  DNF at 10% - I was already getting the sisters confused and not connecting with them.  Honestly I wanted The Blue Sisters to be The Shred Sisters, which it is not.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast 

The Shining by Stephen King.  DNF after a few chapters.  I loved the movie, and I Ioved 11/22/63 by the same author...and for whatever reason I just couldn't get into it. 

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard about this

I'd Rather be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel (audio).  This was a delightful two hour lover letter to reading by MMD (Modern Mrs. Darcy) herself.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: well originally I heard about it on the MMD website, but Engie's rave is why I read it.

J is for Judgement by Sue Grafton.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series.

 Money for Couples by Ramit Sethi.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: duh, the Money for Couples podcast. 
  

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom.  A novel based on a true story of a young Native American woman who married an older white trader and traveled with him to Canada.  A Bad Thing happens, she is told to stay out of it, and she does not stay out of it.  I loved this book more than I can say.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman.  DNF.  I wanted to like this satire about a man whose parents have fallen under the spell of "Fax News" but it quickly became a zombie-ish slasher book which wasn't what I was looking for.  It's the right book for somebody, just not me.

• How I heard about it: NYT article

Chemistry by Weike Wang.  When you're an up and coming PhD student, your perfect boyfriend proposes, and your life falls apart.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: I heard about another book by the same author that has a long Libby hold.  Lisa alerted me to this book, which was the author's first.

K is for Killer by Sue Grafton.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series

The House of My Mother by Shari Franke (audio).  When what happens on YouTube and what happens when the cameras are off are two very different things.  Rating: good.  Respect for the author: off the charts.

• How I heard about it: Sophie

Annie Bot by Sierra Greer.  When you're the perfect girlfriend.  And you're a robot.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard about this.  Stephany's review pushed me to get on Libby and check it out.
  

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney.  A famous writer's wife disappears while driving home, leaving a slew of unanswered questions.  A year later there is an island, a crossover with Yellowface, and a woman who sure looks like his wife.  This was a "good enough to keep reading" low key thriller.

• How I heard about it: The Stripe

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera.  When you wake up covered in blood and your best friend is dead but you don't remember anything until five years later when someone does a podcast about your case.  I love books, and I love podcasts, but I usually don't do well with books about podcasts.  This was another "good enough to finish" thriller.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard about it.

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.  Move over Anne with an E!  This book was a delight from the first page to the last. Rating: OMG 😻😻😻

• How I heard about it: Engie!  It's the current CBBC book.

Funny Story by Emily Henry.  When your fiance decides to leave you for his lifelong best friend, and you need to start your life over.  Who can relate?  Your ex-fiance's best friend's ex-boyfriend knows exactly where you're coming from.  Let's hear it for the "romance with some meat on its bones" genre!  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard about this.

The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker.  A woman goes missing and can't remember where she was but remembers a therapist that she met at a party long ago and asks to talk.  The first few chapters were interesting, but I quickly lost interest and skimmed my way to the end.

• How I heard about it: it's the current darling of the Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast

L is for Lawless by Sue Grafton.  I felt like the story pushed the boundaries of probability at times (Kinsey takes a case for free and the next thing you know she's fronting her own money for airfare?), but I was more than willing to suspend disbelief and eat it up.  Raing: good.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry.  When you and your long lost sister made up stories to get through WWII and fifteen years later you find them written down in a manuscript - any chance your sister is about to get found?  This "book about a book" is catnip to me.

• How I heard about it: this is one of those books that I've lost count of how many people I know loved it but just never got around to reading.  Elisabeth finally got me to take action and read it already.

Rental House by Weike Wang.  When you're in an interracial marriage and you invite both sets of in-laws to join you for your first post-COVID vacation.  This started strong and then I lost interest at the 50% mark.  DNF.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter.  When it's 1938 and you're Polish and Jewish, but you know that all of that stuff happening in Germany will never happen in Poland.  And your brother in France doesn't have to worry either because it will never happen there.  OMG 😻😻😻

• How I heard about it: This book is a longtime favorite of the Sarah's Bookshelves podcast, but I had never gotten around to reading it.  This episode convinced me to try the TV show, and once I'd seen the show I couldn't not pick up the book.

I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris by Glynnis MacNicol (audio).  When you spent the pandemic alone and then go to Paris to make up for lost time.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: Nicole!

We Solve Murders by Richard Osmond.  Ouch this one did not take and was a quick DNF.

• How I heard about it: it was a pick for a book club.  The group was very mixed on the book so a DNF was not a roadblock to enjoying the discussion.

The Coast Road by Alan Murrin.  When it's 1990's Ireland right before divorce was legalized and everyone around you is sure going to benefit from the new law.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast 

Crazy Brave: A Memoir by Joy Harjo.  When you're a Native American growing up in 1950s Oklahoma and have to figure out how to make better choices but all life has to offer you is a bunch of lousy choices.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: book club.

A Little Less Broken: How an Autism Diagnosis Finally Made Me Whole by Marian Schembari (audio). When you finally figure out "what's wrong with you" in your 30s.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: Lisa

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler. When you're going through some stuff, it's your daughter's wedding weekend, and her dad/your ex and his cat have nowhere to stay except your house.  TBH I got bored and only finished it because it was so short.  Every once in a while I dabble in the romance genre, and I think the verdict is unless the book is The Wedding People, it's not for me.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves Podcast 

Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller.  A retelling of the Little House story through Ma's perspective.  At first I was annoyed by how closely the voice matched the Little House books, but at the first mention of the China Shepherdess I was All In.  If you loved Little House as a kid, you need to read this as an adult.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: Nicole

Go As A River by Shelley Read.  I do not have the words to describe the plot of this exquisite novel.  Elisabeth described it  "a mashup of The Grapes of Wrath and The Berry Pickers" and the next thing I knew I checked out a copy on Libby even though I was reading another book at the time. 

• How I heard about it: Elisabeth

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk.  When you have a thing for planes...and I do mean a thing for planes.  This book is not for everyone, but boy oh boy it was for me 😻😻😻 It didn't hurt that my Libby hold came in while I was in San Francisco and that I read a large chunk of the book while flying out of SFO.

• How I heard about it: Kim

The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More by Jefferson Fisher.  If anyone knows how to talk, it's a lawyer.  His podcast is well worth a listen as well.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: San

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton.  When you have a great life and you meet the perfect guy, but then he ghosts you and you realize that your life isn't so perfect after all.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.  When you'll think about that tomorrow but frankly my dear he doesn't give a damn.  I've read this before and I've seen the movie but wowza I was blown away 😻😻😻

• How I heard about it: dude, who hasn't heard of it.  I've read it at least twice in my life, but Engie's reread earlier this year got my attention.  Jenny and I read this together as an informal book club.  Our stretch goal was to finish in 2 weeks but once we started we Could.Not.Stop and we blasted through it in 10 days.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff.  She's got a secret kid, he's on the booze.  Families are complicated.  I liked this book, and it was very readable, but it wasn't life changing.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

M is for Malice by Sue Grafton.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series.

A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout.  A memoir by a journalist recounting her kidnapping and captivity in Somalia in 2008.  This book is jaw droppingly fascinating.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: book club

Joy Prescriptions: How I Learned to Stop Chasing Perfection and Embrace Connection by Tiffany Moon (audio).  When you're a physician and a Real Housewife, but you want something more.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: Best of Both Worlds podcast

The Tell by Amy Griffin (audio).  When you're a runner who's been asked "but what are you running from?" once too often, and then a dose of psychedelic therapy gives you the answer.  A tough read, but very well written.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: don't remember.

Kindred by Octavia Butler.  When you're a black woman living in the 1970s who gets to time travel to catch up with an ancestor in the 1810s.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard of this.  Be like me and finally get around to reading it.

What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown.   When the only life you have ever known is with your dad out in a cabin in the woods and now that you're 17 you're starting to question some things.  I've had mixed results with this author so I hesitated, but I kept hearing that it was really good and the plot reminded me of These Silent Woods, so I picked it up.  Wowza!  I was not expecting the story to go where it did or the 😻😻😻

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.  A few years ago I heard about this great book about an octopus, and my first thought was "yeah, not into that".  Fast forward to now when it was a book club pick and I got into it very quickly.  There was a slow spot in the beginning, but it paid off and I adored this book.

• How I heard about it: Originally Sarah's Bookshelves but the reason I read it was for a book club.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige.  When you just want to get away from it all by hiking the Appalachian trail and you end up really getting away from it all when you go missing.  This author was a previous DNF, but between all of the buzz on this book and my recent interest in hiking, I had to pick it up.  Lessons learned: the hype is justified, and I will never go on a hike that is longer than three hours.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: first from Sarah's Bookshelves, and later from everyone else on the planet.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark.  When the most notable thing about you is that your dad was suspected of killing his siblings, and you've had to become invisible so that no one associates you with him.  Naturally you are a ghostwriter by profession, and of course your dad makes you an offer that you can't refuse to write his tell all book about the murders.  So much setup but I didn't bond with any of the characters, so it was a pretty quick DNF.

• How I heard about it: The Stripe

Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up by Dave Barry (audio).  I had not read Dave Barry since middle school, and I didn't know how much I missed him until I started this book.  Rating: love.

• How I heard about it: newspaper article

Maggie: Or a Man and Woman Walk into a Bar by Katie Yee.  He tells her he's having an affair with a woman named Maggie, she finds out that she has breast cancer and nicknames her tumor Maggie.  I found the first few chapters to be delightful, but then it settled into a stream of consciousness groove and I got bored.  DNF.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter.  When it's WWII Italy, and you're Jewish and on the run with your best friend's young son.  Everything is stacked up against you, but at least he is that one good thing that keeps you going.  😻😻😻

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

The Unwedding by Ally Conde.  When you have a big splashy 20th anniversary trip planned but your husband decides to leave you and you can't get a refund so you take the trip by yourself and walk into the scene of a big wedding and a murder mystery.  Basically it's The Wedding People but with murder instead of suicide.  I liked the setup on this one but was bored to tears by the murder mystery.  Rating: good.

• How I heard about it: MMD

Nesting by Roisin O'Donnell.  When you live in Ireland and you leave your emotionally abusive marriage with two young children and another on the way.  Everyone says you'll go back, and it seems like the system is stacked so that you will go back...or will you?  I hesitated to read this book for so long because I wasn't sure that I could handle another bad marriage/divorce book, but with each passing page I found myself cheering and applauding.  I read this book in just a few hours.  😻😻😻

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall.  This is the big Hot It book of the year but I got bored and DNF'd pretty quickly.

• How I heard about it: first from Sarah's Bookshelves and later from everyone else.

Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater by Peggy Orenstein (audio).  When your COVID progect turns into a book deal.  The author didn't just knit a sweater, she sheared the sheep, spun the wool, and dyed the yarn.  It was a fun ride of sheep and sweater minutiae, with some serious topics thrown in.

• How I heard about it: Nicole

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny.  I couldn't tell you what this book is about, but it's like eavesdropping on the world's most fascinating conversation and I love it.

• How I heard about it: Nicole

I'm Traveling Alone by Samuel Bjork.  The irony of ironies was that I read this while I was traveling alone lol.  It's a mystery, it's Norwegian, and it was unputdownable.

• How I heard about it: Jenny

Rage by Linda Castillo.  The latest entry in the Amish murder mystery series.  I was nervous going into this one since the previous book was IMO the weakest link in the series but I needn't have been since Castillo came in hot.  If she can still turn out books like this then hopefully the series will continue for a long time.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali.  This story of friendship starting in 1950s Iran to the present day was an OK read for me.  The first 70% of the book dragged and the last 30% was excellent.  I only stuck with it because it was a book club read, and I'm glad that I did.

• How I heard about it: originally Sarah's Bookshelves, but I read it for book club

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett.  I read Hot It book of the summer because everyone else did.  It took me a hot second to accept the magical realism, but once I bought in I was HOOKED.  This was an easy 😻😻😻 with a surprise sobfest at the end.

• How I heard about it: originally Sarah's Bookshelves, and then from everybody else on the planet.

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.  I reread one of my childhood favorites to prepare for my trip to PEI.  It holds up!

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard of this.  I read it approximately one million times in middle school.

O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton.  Continuing the series.  This one was on the meh side.

• How I heard about it: continuing the series.

Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves—and How to Find Our Way Back by Dr. Ingrid Clayton (audio).  When you're in a situation where you can't fight, can't flee, and can't freeze, there's a fourth f for that.  Unfortunately for too many of us it becomes a way of life.

• How I heard about it: Elisabeth's friend Joy.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman.  A young girl is living the only life that she has ever known, with 39 women in a bunker who are watched 24/7 by male guards.  Then one day the guards leave and the women venture outside.  If you want a quick and unforgettable read, this book is for you.

• How I heard about it: Engie!

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.  I tried, but I was never able to make sense of the overall story and at the 75% mark I totally lost my way and skimmed the rest.

• How I heard about it: everyone who was around in the 1980s has heard of this, but I never read it back then.  It's the current pick for the Cool Blogger's Bookclub.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings.  When the cartel dictates that it's time to leave Mexico and relocate to the United States by any means necessary.

• How I heard about it: funny story, I picked it up by mistake.  I got the title confused with Good Dirt.

The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward by Melinda French Gates (audio). A short and easy listen about navigating life changes.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard about this.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.  Yeah, I know it's the Hot It book of the moment, but I couldn't concentrate and had to DNF.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard of this.

I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman.  A writer wakes up with a dead man in his bed.  Is he in trouble or did he just find the inspo for his next book?

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith.  Guy wants to get a divorce and his wife doesn't.  Bruno wants his dad's estate but not his dad.  Guy's life would be easier if his wife wasn't around, and Bruno's life would be easier if his dad wasn't around.  That's the first thought that comes to Bruno's mind when he and Guy meet as strangers on a train.  Now if he can just get Guy to see things his way...

• How I heard about it: this is a reread.  I've been rewatching all of the Alfred Hitchcock movies and wanted a refresher on the differences between the book and the movie.

168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam (audio).  I picked this up because I wanted more background on some of the concepts that Laura has mentioned on her podcast.  It's hella interesting and a lot of food for thought.

• How I heard about it: I'm a sometimes listener of the Best of Both Worlds podcast, and was looking for more background on some of the concepts that Laura has mentioned on the show.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy.  When your family lives on an isolated island with a lighthouse and a stranger washes ashore.  This was very readable, but the "it's the end of the world" theme left me cold.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard of this.  It's the hot It book of the moment.

This American Woman: A One in a Billion Memoir by Zarna Garg (audio).  When you're 15 in India and your dad wants you to do an arranged marriage and you decide to be homeless and then move to the US and become a stand up comic instead.  I loved this book so much.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

P is for Peril by Sue Grafton.  The previous book in the series was a meh, but P came back strong.  Bravo!

• How I heard about it: continuing the series

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (audio).  This was a DNF when I tried to read it and an OMG 😻😻😻 on audio.

• How I heard about it: everyone has heard of this.

Dominion by Addie E. Citchens.  When it's the Deep South and the boys are in charge but the gals know a thing or two.  This was a very well written, easy to read book about some unpleasant stuff.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Guilty by Definition by Susie Dent.  When you're a linguistics expert and your sister went missing 15 years ago, and now someone's sending anoymous postcards about her disappearance, and you've got something to say about that.  I'm a fan of the author, but the book was a bit slow going.

• How I heard about it: Sarah's Bookshelves

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.  When you're young and naive, so you marry a wealthy widower and it goes well until he takes you home to his large estate.  Not only is the late wife's presence still looming large, but something else isn't quite right.

• How I heard about it: this is a reread of one of my all time favorite books.  I've been rewatching all of the Alfred Hitchcock movies and wanted a refresher on the differences between the book and the movie.

Tranquillity by Tuesday by Laura Vanderkam (audio).  After finishing 168 Hours, I wanted more of the same so I asked around which led me to this book.  There will be lots more LV reading in my future!

• How I heard about it: Elisabeth credits this as the book that motivated her to start her blog.

Thanks for hanging out to talk books!  How was your reading year?  If you have an annual book roundup, please drop the link in your comment!